Declare Nuvem draft RP null and void

Margao: The village planning committee (VPC) of the Nuvem village panchayat has taken strong exception to the move of the acting sarpanch, Menino Mascarenhas, of presenting an "edited version" of the draft village plan for RP 2021 at the recently held gram sabha. Accusing the sarpanch of violating the participatory planning process, the VPC has demanded that the authorities declare the plan null and void.

Addressing a press conference at Margao on Tuesday, the chairperson of the VP, Zarina da Cunha, charged that Mascarenhas "blocked the plan prepared by the VPC" and forced upon the gram sabha a "personal" plan which he formulated "without any intimation, co-operation or collaboration with the VPC".

"By not allowing the plan prepared by the VPC to be discussed at the gram sabha and by forcing upon the gram sabha an arbitrary and illegal plan, the acting sarpanch has subverted the due process for the formulation of the RP for Nuvem village. Instead of participating in and providing necessary support to the planning process undertaken by the VPC, the acting sarpanch has clandestinely created a knee-jerk alternative plan," da Cunha said.

While condemning the manner in which the gram sabha proceedings were carried out, the VPC demanded that "an impartial government observer/trainer be given the responsibility to make the RP 2021 presentation to all the VPC members, including the acting sarpanch and his group, and deliberate on the ground reality as per assurances given to this effect by senior town planner S T Puttaraju when the VPC called on him".

The VPC has also shot off letters to the chief town planner and director of panchayats, demanding that "the validity of the plan formulated by the duly elected VPC be reaffirmed". It has also demanded that the Nuvem panchayat be directed to hold a special gram sabha to discuss the RP and the development plan formulated by the VPC.

"We formally submit that that the authorities should impose a freeze on all further actions of the Nuvem village panchayat with regard to the village development plans and the RP. We ask that the freeze on any action be imposed on the panchayat and its functionaries until the authorities we have appealed to are able to take formal action, as the Nuvem village panchayat has lost credibility, trust and the faith of its citizen members," the VPC has stated in the letter.

Meanwhile, Mascarenhashas refuted all the charges and has maintained that all his moves were aimed at the development of the village.

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